Orthotic shoes for women

From early on, good footwear has been a necessity in our household, and with the rolling in you see with the laxity, low muscle tone, and flat foot combination, a custom orthotic is key, as well. We get custom orthotic inserts made from a local prosthetic group, and they do a fantastic job. Normally, we add these to stable, high quality gym shoes with good arch support and stability. Some shoes we have used include Saucony shoes that offer support for over pronation, like the Stable shoe pictured and linked here. 

We have also used Asic line of shoes geared at over pronation, linked here.  Both of these companies offer search criteria by pronation issue on their main sites, which makes it easy to find out which shoe model you may want, then you can go shopping. We have been able to fit custom inserts into both these brands. New Balance also offers good options for stability.

While shopping for  gym shoes is not too difficult, shopping for sandals and dress shoes is much more trying! We have found that Clarke's, Jambu, Ecco brands all offer a few shoes here and there that can be utilized with inserts, but many do not. For such situations, a company called Foot Levelers can be useful.

My daughter was fitted for a pair of these Chaos sandals with custom orthotic insert. Because she is a younger person, the Keen and Chaos shoes run wide for her, but this sandal is somewhat adjustable (the top can be snugged tighter), which works for minimal use when going to the pool or beach. The company also offers up dress shoe options as well as slippers and a hiking boot. We were fitted for these by a local chiropractor, and I was skeptical about the orthotic being as good as the ones we buy from the prosthetic group. While the orthotic was smaller and less stable, it was formed nicely for her and it is a very good solution for someone with her specific situation. She can utilize these for the rare times of being at the pool, the beach, or she can try out a dress shoe for more formal occasions. The cost with the shoe was comparable to the custom orthotic alone at the local prosthetic group, and my insurance did pay a portion. I have been told that not all insurance companies will cover the cost of custom orthotics, however. Click here to see the different options available at Foot Levelers. You will need a professional to fit you for these custom orthotic shoe combinations.

Recently, I read a review on the Vionic Orthoheal sandals. Click here to view. These are made with a higher arch, providing more stability than the average sandal. I don't see how you could utilize an orthotic in their shoes, but their process is supposed to help take that step out of the equation for people who need more support from over pronation. It is not likely we will go this route, we may try out their dress flat at some point in time to see if it is a viable option for dress up occasions.

Finally, I have found that a local high end department store carries the widest selection of women's dress shoes that will accept an orthotic.  The store is called VonMaur (Click here for that link) , and they do have an online web presence with free shipping and very good customer service. If you have the option of going to a retail VonMaur to try out their shoes with your custom orthotic, you may find some wonderful (though not cheap) options for specialty situations such as formal occasions, uniform needs, or other. I have found the staff to be hit and miss in knowing which shoes work with orthotics, so I just look through them and find them on my own, most times. However, a staff member did point out a pair of sandals that had a removable sole that I would never have guessed was removable, so it is good to ask them, initially.

Shopping for shoes can be an exhausting and frustrating process when you require special support for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or other custom orthotic needs. Luckily, manufacturers are improving our options and with a bit of luck, we can all find what we need without breaking the bank.

Next, I will post some additional photos of the types of shoes we have found useful with custom orthotics.

 First is an Asics brand shoe designed with extra support for over pronation and flat feet. We put the custom orthotic in (as pictured) in place of the liner that comes with the shoe.  This is the best for my daughter. She does need to buy these in a slightly larger size and width to accomodate her insert, but they are fantastic for comfort and support.

 To the right is a Mary Jane style that has an easily removable insert.  We were able to place the orthotic in this shoe, but it was a tight fit from top to bottom.  This works for those with a narrow foot, but it would limit the number of people who could fit a custom orthotic in the shoe. One thing I notice about this shoe is that it has more inside arch support than any other shoe I have tried, but the support for over pronation is not there, and requires awareness for those who struggle.

 To the left is a view of the second Ecco brand shoe insert. It is easily removed, though my daughter opted to wear this insert instead of her orthotic for a choir event. These look nice, and they are comfortable. Like the Ecco shoe above, these have nice built in arch support, but they lack a wide front base for over pronation support.  Granted, they are far better than the marjority of "dress" shoes for that need, but still, a custom orthotic may be required, depending on the individual.

Finally, the red shoe below is a Jambu sandal. These are built low and wide, which helps with over pronation. They lack support, but they are a nice option as a sandal replacement in summer. We were able to purchase and then remove the two liners in the shoe.  The second liner was glued down, so we had to commit to this in order to try it.  You can see the cream colored top liner and a thin black liner below it. Those both came out, making room for the custom orthotic. In order to fit the orthotic, my daughter went a size larger, but this worked nicely for her during summer. Still, it was not a quality shoe for long term walking, but a great option for occasions where a gym shoe didn't quite work.

As we try different shoes with inserts, over the years, I will add more photos.